Text © World of Showjumping

As the fastest duo in a jump-off of eleven, Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs and his trustworthy 13-year-old gelding Leone Jei (Baltic VDL x Corland) won the CSIO5* 1.60m €1,500,000 Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen 2025. This prestigious Grand Prix is one of the four Majors in the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, and Fuchs is now the series’ new Live Contender ahead of the next stop at Spruce Meadows where he and Leone Jei won the Grand Prix both in 2024 and 2023. 

One of the most consistent pairs on the circuit, Fuchs and Leone Jei have won four Majors together so far in their career – one in Geneva, two at Spruce Meadows and today their first in Aachen. “It’s a great day, fantastic, a lot of emotions; winning here in Aachen has been something I tried many times,” Fuchs said. “I was close a couple of times, so today when Leone Jei jumped so incredible, I was very focused for the jump-off. I thought today could be the day. Last year I made a rider’s mistake in the jump-off, so today I wanted to improve myself,” Fuchs said. 

The first to post a clear over Frank Rothenberger’s 14-fence track in round one was also the rider who would end up as the winner; Martin Fuchs as start no. 7 in the ring. The clears then came in quick succession – fourteen in total – from Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) and Katanga vh Dingeshof (Cardento x Tornado FCS), Olivier Robert (FRA) and Iglesias D.V. (Quasimodo van de Molendreef x Labor's VDL Indorado), Steve Guerdat (SUI) and Dynamix de Belheme (Snaike de Blondel x Cornet Obolensky) – reigning European champions and Olympic vice-champions, Gerrit Nieberg (GER) – a former winner of the Aachen Grand Prix – and Ping Pong van de Lentamel (Emerald x Toulon), Stephan de Freitas Barcha (BRA) and Chevaux Primavera Imperio Egipcio (Calvaro F.C. x Paroli 4), Richard Vogel (GER) and United Touch S (Untouched x Lux Z), Emilie Conter (BEL) and Portobella van de Fruitkorf (Bamako de Muze x Nabab de Reve), Sophie Hinners (GER) and Iron Dames Singclair (Singular LS La Silla x Cardento), Laura Kraut (USA) and Baloutinue (Balou du Rouet x Landor S), Nina Mallevaey (FRA) – the world’s leading FEI U25 rider – and Dynastie de Beaufour (Diamant de Semilly x Cassini II), Christian Kukuk (GER) and Checker 47 (Comme Il Faut 5 x Come On) – reigning Olympic champions, Lillie Keenan (USA) and Fasther (Vigo d’Arsouilles x Farmer), and finally world no. one Kent Farrington (USA) and Greya (Colestus x Contender).

They were joined for the second round by another four riders, Sandra Auffarth (GER) carrying a time penalty, Tom Wachman (IRL) on three time penalties, as well as Ben Maher (GBR) and Gregory Wathelet (BEL) on four faults.

As always in Aachen, the first-round track was a challenge, but it rode well. Counting fourteen fences, it included a Rolex triple combination at no. 4abc, the infamous double of liverpools by the lake at no. 6ab, the open water on a difficult angle at no. 10, as well as a demanding last line with a delicate upright at no. 13 followed by six strides to the last combination at 14ab – which made it a long course for the horses. While faults spread out, it was the Rolex triple combination, the double of liverpools and the last combination that caused the most mistakes, although without any dramatic scenes – unlike in Thursday’s Nations Cup. 

First to post a double clear round at Soers was Olivier Robert, who despite a slip in the turn to the oxer at no. 6 managed to re-establish balance and stay calm to keep the poles in the cups. A jump-off was secured shortly after when 2024 Olympic champion Kukuk jumped another clear round, to make the sound level reach new heights at Soers. And the home crowd got even more to celebrate when Hinners joined the jump-off, making light work of the second-round course that counted twelve fences and fifteen efforts with a combination at no. 4ab and a Rolex triple combination at no. 9abc. 

The test Rothenberger presented for the second round turned out to be a relatively easy task for the calibre of horses and riders that had made it to round two, as another eight made it clear around to join the jump-off: de Freitas Barcha, Guerdat, Nieberg, Fuchs, Keenan, Vogel, Mallevaey and Kraut – bringing the total number of double clears to eleven.

With such a large and strong field for the jump-off, it was bound to become a race with the riders being forced to take all the risk from start to finish if they were to have any chance to take the title. The first to leave all the fences up was de Freitas Barcha – fourth out in the jump-off – who set the time to beat to 54.33 seconds, which looked possible to improve. Next to go, Guerdat showed that this was indeed the case as he shaved the time down to 52.59 seconds – causing a small gasp to go through the crowd when he took off on a long stride on the first oxer of the jump-off. 

However, it was Guerdat’s compatriot Fuchs who stole the show in Aachen today as he used Leone Jei’s ground-covering stride to his advantage and got a perfect run to the penultimate combination that caught out so many of his competitors. Crossing the finish line, Fuchs stopped the clock on 50.29 seconds – a time that looked very hard to match. 

Forcing the remaining four riders to take a maximum of risk, Lillie Keenan, Richard Vogel and Nina Mallevaey were all tricked into making mistakes – all of them clipping rails in the double. As last to go, multi-medallist Laura Kraut gave it a good shot as she was cheered on by an ecstatic Soers but could not get close to Fuchs and had to slot into second with her time of 52.41 seconds, to push Guerdat down to third, followed by de Freitas Barcha in fourth with the last triple clear of the Grand Prix. Nina Mallevaey finished fifth, with the fastest round in the jump-off in 50.01 seconds but on the expense of a rail down in the double and four faults added to her score.

“I had a very good plan for the jump-off, with leaving out a stride into the double which was a hard task because the golden double was hard to jump,” Fuchs detailed. “But I know my horse very well; he is extremely careful and can jump out of any situation, so I said we try and we take the last risk for this golden combination. Then from there on it was just the last fence in front of us, and go as fast as I could.”

For both second-placed Kraut and third-placed Guerdat it was more or less obvious that it would be nearly impossible to beat Fuchs after his strategy to the double. “I’m very happy with the second place,” Kraut said. “I think that for me, when there were eleven in the jump-off – which was a lot, with the fastest riders in the world – I thought this could end not so well. I went in at the end, and the golden double was the thing to jump; it was very difficult and many people were quick until that. Truthfully, I did not see much of Martin, so I was not really sure that I was up on him because I know how fast he is. So, when I jumped the wall, instead of taking all the risk like he did, I chickened out and thought I’m going to play it safe and not have it [the double] down which is where he went well into the lead. The way he went to the last fence, no chance. So, in the end, I’m very happy.”

“I think I have many reasons to be happy today,” third-placed Guerdat said, as he pointed out how the jump-off did not leave the riders with many options. “My mare jumped amazing. With so many clears and this jump-off course I knew that I had no chance to win today, there was no option as basically you needed a huge-strided horse which my mare is not. I did not get a perfect jump-off, I would have been second I guess with a perfect jump-off, but I was actually lucky to end up on the podium. So, in the end, I have every reason to be happy and especially with the way my mare jumped today.” 

“It’s a very special day for the whole family and the whole team,” Fuchs said about becoming the 4th Swiss rider through history to win this prestigious Grand Prix. “Leone Jei is such an incredible horse, in all the Majors, he is always there and always present so when I do my job he usually leaves the poles up. He has a huge stride, so in a ring like this it allows me to leave out some strides and to really go full risk and still usually jump the fences clear. I’m very fortunate and lucky to be riding a horse like this.” 

“All of the Majors always have the best riders and horses in the world, so it is really exciting – especially here in Aachen where we are for a whole week, and it is building up to the Grand Prix. Sunday is always an exciting day, to walk the courses for the Rolex Grand Prix, and to lay out a plan. Actually, last night in bed I was studying all my prior Rolex Grand Prixs with Leone Jei and really tried to see what I could improve today and where I could try to be better than the last years – so I am really happy that it turned out like this.”